The Proposal
by chasingthelight5
Summary: A quick 3-chapter story involving a proposal by a certain ruggedly handsome author to his beautiful detective.
1. Chapter 1

Castle sat on the edge of the bed, running his thumb over the velvet box in his palm. He carefully opened the lid, the square diamond in the platinum setting winking back at him with every beam of light that hit it. He knew he didn't have much time to admire it – Kate would be home any minute. It had been a day full of paperwork at the precinct, so she told him to head home early and she'd be there as soon as she was finished.

Castle let out a contented sigh as he closed the lid and placed the box back in the drawer of his nightstand. It had been burning a whole in his drawer for some time now, buried beneath papers, a notepad & pen he kept for late night light-bulb ideas, and some miscellaneous odds and ends that had accumulated in there over the years.

It seemed like it was just yesterday that Beckett had interrogated him about the Tisdale murder. That day changed his life forever, and he knew it the second she refused to be charmed by his charisma and good looks. He hoped that tomorrow would change his life just one more time.

Castle had bought the ring soon right after their 2-year anniversary. It had worked to his advantage that they had gotten a late start shopping one weekend.

_Alexis was planning to meet up with them for lunch, so to cut down on time, Kate ran ahead to FAO Schwarz to pick up a birthday present for Ryan & Jenny's daughter, Madeleine. Castle, on the other hand, told her he was stopping in Bvlgari to look at some watches. They agreed to meet back up at the fountain at Grand Army Plaza in 20 minutes – surely that would be enough time for Kate to get a gift for Madeleine and for Castle to get…well…a very different gift._

_He was greeted when he walked into Van Cleef & Arpels by Maxwell, the owner of the shop and a friend of the mayor. They had met at one of the mayor's poker tournaments a few years back and had played a few games together._

"_Rick Castle! How are you? It's so great to see you again!" Maxwell excused himself from a conversation he was having with one of his sales associates as soon as he saw Castle walk through the door. He came around from the other side of the jewelry counter to shake hands with Castle._

"_I'm doing fine, Maxwell, and yourself? How are Jeanne and the twins?" Castle grinned, happy to see his friend. They had last seen each other at a party hosted by the mayor a few months ago._

"_Great, everyone is doing well, thanks! What brings you here today?"_

_Rick smiled. "Ah, I am here to pick up an engagement ring." _

_Maxwell's face lit up. "So she's really the one, huh? You've got yourself quite a beautiful girl, Rick. She's really something special." He couldn't help but smile. Maxwell knew the second Rick had introduced him to Kate that this day would come. Anyone with two eyes and a brain could see the connection between the duo. "Let me get it for you."_

_Maxwell returned behind the counter to retrieve the ring from an unmarked cabinet. Returning to the area where Rick was standing, he opened the box for Rick to see the ring._

_Rick breathed out in awe at just how beautiful the ring was. The square-cut diamond was placed in a simple platinum setting. Two smaller diamonds flanked each side of the diamond. Nothing fancy, just a simple engagement ring. Kate would love it. He was sure of it. A few nights of Kate falling asleep on the early side & a few uncleared browser histories told Rick that Kate had been looking at wedding dresses and engagement ring styles online. "It's absolutely perfect." Rick looked up from the ring & smiled at Maxwell. He could barely contain his excitement. A quick slide of his credit card and some well wishes from Maxwell had him on his way to meet Kate at the fountain, ring box carefully tucked in his inside coat pocket._

It never felt like the right time, though, to propose to Kate. He supposed, however, that it would never feel like the right time. _God_, he thought, _I've wanted to propose to her since day one._

Tomorrow was Saturday, their usual date night, and Kate had the whole day off. He couldn't wait to sleep in with her, wake up and make her breakfast, then spend the whole day with her. Her birthday had been the week before, and while they went out for drinks after work, she and Castle hadn't yet had a day to celebrate together. They were planning to take a stroll through Central Park and admire the fall scenery – one of Kate's favorite parts about the fall, even if the chill reminded her of her mother. They were good memories, though; memories of walking along Central Park West with Johanna as a child going to the American Museum of Natural History, dining at Tavern on the Green for special occasions…all of it reminded Kate of Johanna.

He heard the lock on the door turn, and he quickly jumped up from the bed to go greet his soon-to-be fiancée. Rick Castle could hardly wait to be Kate Beckett's one and done.

Rick & Kate had ordered food in. Neither had felt like cooking, but Kate was exhausted from a long week and wanted to stay in, so they ordered from the nearby Cercle Rouge through the Seamless app on Castle's phone. Was there an app he didn't have?

A delicious meal, a few glasses of wine, and a movie later, Kate had fallen asleep on Rick's shoulder.

"Hey, Kate," he whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head, "I think it's time for bed."

Kate yawned. "'m comfy," she sleepily mumbled, but rubbed her eyes and moved anyway. She offered to help Rick clean up the plates & wine glasses from dinner, but he refused her help and told her to go shower & get ready for bed. How could she say no to a nice, hot, relaxing shower? It would be just what she needed after a stressful week.

She padded in her bare feet to the master bathroom adjoining Rick's bedroom. The white tile floor was cold on her feet, but just enough to wake her up to shower. Kate turned the shower on, letting the steam fill the bathroom while she brushed her teeth and took off her makeup. She quickly undressed, tied her hair up in a loose bun, and stepped into the shower. She hated to admit it, but Rick's shower was deliciously fantastic at working out the knots and stiff muscles in her neck and shoulders. It was that glorious showerhead, complete with its 9 different settings and fantastic water pressure.

The scent of her shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel swirled together, forming an intoxicating aroma of cherry and coconut. Rick, who had finished cleaning up from dinner and was now changing into his pajamas, loved when she left the bathroom door open a crack when she showered. The cherry-coconut aroma wafted into the bedroom, the whole room subtly fragrant of Kate. He heard her shut the water off, and soon enough she walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas – sleep shorts and one of Rick's favorite tee-shirts. He had long ago accepted the fact that his favorite shirt now belonged to Kate, and he didn't mind one bit.

Rick quickly brushed his teeth, then crawled into his sinfully comfortable bed where Kate was waiting under the warm comforter for him. Scooting next to Kate, he laid on his back while she snuggled into his side, his arm around her and her head on his chest.

"G'night, Kate. Love you," he murmured as he turned off the light.

"'Night, Rick. Love you back," she sleepily said, but lifted her head to meet his lips with a sweet, tender kiss. Shifting her head back to where it was comfortable, she placed her hand over his abdomen.

Rick's steady & strong heartbeat in her ear had her asleep in no time. As Rick was lulled off into a peaceful sleep, he couldn't help staring at her ring finger in the soft glow of the moon that filled the bedroom.

He couldn't wait to see that diamond sparkling there tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I was not expecting to wake up this morning to an inbox full of notifications of reviews, favorites, and follows! I just got out of class for the day & checked my inbox to find even more. You guys are the best!_

_Personally, I'm not so sure about this chapter. I, as a writer, am just not satisfied, but give it a read and enjoy. I don't get much time to write creatively these days, so any constructive criticism is certainly welcome and appreciated._

* * *

Kate woke to the scent of pancakes and bacon wafting through the loft. Sitting up, she stretched and yawned.

_10am?_ She looked at the clock. _Man, I must've been tired._ Even on her days off, she found she couldn't sleep in past 8 or 9, since her body was so accustomed to waking up early. This past week seemed to have drained all her energy, and Kate was grateful to have the weekend off.

Grabbing one of her old Stanford sweatshirts, she quickly donned the pilling fleece hoodie and threw on some heavy socks.

As she walked out into the loft towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her boyfriend. He had his back turned to her and was clad in his favorite sweatpants & NYPD shirt that she had gotten him for his birthday last year. His hair was still damp from his shower, and Kate thought he looked absolutely adorable with his mussed brown hair.

She snuck up behind Rick, who was busy trying to not burn himself while turning the sizzling bacon. Wrapping her arms around his waist, Kate stood on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on the back of Rick's neck.

"Mmm. Morning." She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent that was so distinctly him.

"Morning, beautiful." Rick placed the spatula down and turned around in Kate's arms, placing his own around her waist. He leaned down and met her lips in a soft kiss, then rested his forehead against hers. "You should've stayed in bed. I was going to bring you breakfast."

"It's okay. Smells delicious." Kate freed herself from his muscular arms to grab a coffee mug. She brewed a cup from the espresso machine on the counter, inhaling its delicious, caffeinated scent. Rick set a plate piled with pancakes, eggs, and bacon in front of where she had taken a seat at the counter.

They ate breakfast in a comfortable silence. Rick loved the way Kate looked in the morning – hair slightly tousled, no makeup, skin glowing in the warm sunlight shining through the windows of the loft. He was positive that there was no woman more beautiful than the detective currently sitting at his kitchen counter.

While the couple had originally planned to stroll around Central Park today, it was clear that Kate needed a day to relax at home. They had no plans for the day now, except for a dinner reservation at Cookshop at 7pm, so breakfast at the kitchen counter lazily rolled into stolen kisses on the way to a gloriously relaxing bath together in his oversized tub. Rick had managed to get some writing done after their bath – Paula was grilling him for not having a draft for the latest Nikki Heat novel submitted yet. Kate found some time to curl up in the sun nook in the guest room on the second floor of the loft with a book from Rick's bookshelves that had caught her attention. She was glad to have a lazy day off – no errands, no cooking for herself – just a warm bath with her boyfriend and curling up with a new book.

* * *

"Castle, which do you like better? This one, or this one?" Kate asked later that day, holding two different dresses, one at a time, up to her body.

"Hmm. I like _this_ one." Rick walked over to his closet, where many of her clothes were now housed, and picked out a simple, black scoopneck dress. It was his favorite, and showed off her collarbones so well. Kate looked so elegant whenever she wore her little black dress, and he wished she'd wear it more often.

"Oh, I forgot I had that one!" Kate took the hanger from him, removing the dress from it and placing the hanger back in the closet. Changing out of her lounge clothes, she shrugged the simple dress over her head and freed her hair form it once it was on.

Kate looked absolutely stunning. She had changed before Rick, and he came out of the bedroom to find her staring out the window. She turned around, and Rick swore his heart skipped a few beats. There she stood, in her simple black dress that hugged her body in all the right places, with nude pumps, a delicate gold necklace, earrings, and the diamond bracelet he had given her for Christmas. Her hair was swept up into a delicate chignon, with a few tendrils of hair loose & framing her face.

"You're beautiful."

Kate blushed and ducked under the pieces of hair surrounding her face.

"You're pretty handsome yourself." He was decked out in dress pants & the blue shirt Kate loved because it brought out his blue eyes.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Kate walked toward the door & grabbed her gold clutch and ivory shawl off the front table. Exiting the loft, they walked with fingers intertwined to the elevator, then out to Rick's idling town car.

Rick was glad they had made a reservation – the restaurant was packed. He and Kate sat at a table in the front corner of the building. The warm glow of the candle on the table paired with dim lights in the restaurant made Rick swear he had never seen a woman more beautiful than the one he was wining and dining with.

Dinner had been exceptionally lovely. Cookshop, though not one of Rick's upscale go-to places, had long ago become one of their favorite restaurants because of the daily changing menu. Rick and Kate found themselves walking along the Highline after their meal. Kate was slightly buzzed from the wine coursing through her veins, and for a detective that ran after criminals in heels, she was reminded by the wine that walking up the stairs in stilettos was more difficult than running in them.

They walked along the illuminated, flower-framed pathway in a comfortable silence for a while, gazing up at the stars, and every now and then, stealing a glance at the other. The skies were clear and the stars were still visible, even through the intense light pollution that the Manhattan skyscrapers gave off.

They had only walked about 4 blocks on the Highline when Rick pulled Kate over to the benches at the Falcone Flyover. They sat down on one of the benches, still staring up at the sky.

"I can't believe how beautiful the sky is tonight! You usually can't see a thing." Kate cuddled into Rick's side, looking up to the stars.

Rick was at a loss for words. While Kate stared in awe at the beautiful white dots against the dark navy blue backdrop of the sky, he couldn't take his eyes off Kate. He had nothing but love for her, from her honey-colored locks all the way down to her pale pink painted toenails which were hidden away inside her shoes.

"I can't believe how I ended up with such a beautiful woman sitting next to me." Rick smiled at Kate, who took her eyes off the sky to smile back at the handsome man whose hand was still linked with her own.

She leaned in and placed a tender kiss on his lips. She swore that fireworks still went off every time they kissed. It was always electric and it never failed to steal her breath and words.

"Kate, wait." Rick pulled away as Kate went into for another kiss.

"What? What's wrong?" Concern immediately clouded her entire face.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just…I love you so much, but there's something really important I need to…can you hold on one second? Just one second, I promise." Rick trailed off. He hadn't meant to panic her. As she nodded, he stood up and walked behind her. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. His palms were slightly sweaty from his nerves. This moment hadn't mattered as much when compared to the same moment in his previous relationships with Meredith and Gina. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember ever feeling this way about either of them. But this was it. This was the one moment he had been waiting for since he had met Kate Beckett those several years ago. He just hoped he wouldn't screw it up.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Seriously. You guys rock. Also, my mistake on the chapter 2 thing, for those of you that caught it - I was trying to fix a formatting error and didn't realize that I had posted Chapter 1 where Chapter 2 should have been. If you haven't read Chapter 2 yet, it's up and it's the right chapter this time._

_Here's the chapter you've been waiting for. I'm thinking of maybe including an epilogue - say, maybe a year down the road when they actually get married? What do you guys think? Would you want to see the actual wedding? I know Caskett wedding fics are a dime a dozen, but I feel like this little engagement story needs something to tie everything up with a nice little bow (or wedding ring). Yes? No?_

* * *

_I can do this. I'm ready for this._ Rick inhaled and gave himself a quick pep talk.

He walked back around the bench and sat down next to the beautiful woman who was just taking in the fresh air and usual sounds of the city. It was a symphony to her. She couldn't imagine living in a suburban environment. Kate had been accustomed to the quirky noises of the city since she was born. Taxi horns honking, car alarms late at night, adults laughing late at night, babies crying during the day – it was a beautiful melody that only a city could produce.

"Sorry about that."

"No worries. Are you alright?" Kate reassured him, but was still slightly concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm, uh…" He trailed off.

_Do it now! This is the time! Do it now!_ Rick's brain was moving far faster than his mouth was. He took her hand in his and began to rub tiny circles on the back of her hand with him thumb.

"Kate, before I met you, I was this best-selling author that everyone wanted. Guys wanted to be me, women wanted to sleep with me. I was on top of the world – rich, successful, and watching my daughter grow up before my eyes. I thought I had everything."

Kate tilted her head to the side. She was trying to figure out where he was going with this story.

"But when I met you, I realized that I only had what I wanted. Money. A successful career. But I was missing a relationship, someone who was my other half. Love wasn't a challenge because I was with all the wrong women – women who wanted my money or to say that they hooked up with me. God, even Meredith and Gina were the wrong women."

Kate shot him a playful warning look at the mention of Meredith and Gina.

"Sorry, sorry. Won't bring them up again." Rick sheepishly grinned.

"It's okay." Kate smiled.

"I've never met anyone like you. I feel like I can read you like an open book, but you're still a puzzle to me. You play it close to the vest, but you wear your heart on your sleeve, even if you pretend you don't. You let me inside your world, inside your life, and I know that hasn't been easy for you, but I'm so grateful that you did. Because underneath all those tough cop, badass, tackling-criminals-in-heels layers…"

Kate giggled. She supposed it did look kind of strange to see a cop in heels running after and arresting criminals.

"Underneath all of that is a beautiful, strong woman. And even though she's incredibly independent and tries to push people away, I know that she likes being taken care of just the same. Without the cop persona, you're just Kate. Beautiful, remarkable, Kate. I may have been interested in the wild, badass, no-nonsense Detective Beckett when I first met you, but I fell in love with Kate. The Kate that didn't want anyone to see her pain, that was afraid to let people in after having her world come crashing down."

"I love you, Kate, more than words could say. And I'm a writer. I mean, how could I run out of words?" He tried to lighten the mood a bit, not for Kate's sake, but for his own. He was so overcome with love for her that the tears were welling up behind his eyes.

He took a deep breath and continued. "I love you, Kate. And I want to take care of you, and protect you, and love you for a long time to come…" He reached into his blazer pocket and pulled out the small box. "So, I have an important question to ask you."

Kate felt a tear running down her cheek. She didn't know when she had started crying, but the Hoover Dam was about to break. Her hand was over her mouth, partially to cover her shock, partially to keep a sob of ecstasy from escaping.

Rick knelt down in front of her and opened the box, the diamond glimmering in the artificial moonlight of the buildings around them.

"Kate, will you marry me?"

She was speechless. Kate couldn't do anything except nod frantically and wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks.

"Yes!" Kate managed to squeak out. Rick took her left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. Kate's eyes were glued to the cool circle of metal. He stood up and swept her into his arms.

Their lips met in a delicious kiss. It wasn't a kiss of passion, rather, a long, sweet kiss full of love, promises, and an exciting future to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Maggie Sottero Radience dress: media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail2/300x383/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d2713 6e95/M/a/Maggie_Sottero_

Bridesmaids' dresses: S/adrianna-papell-beaded-one-shoulder-taffeta-dress/3197096?origin=category&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=0&pprd=0

A/N: A wedding in the city didn't really appeal to me, so I decided that the gang would hop on a private jet out to the Hamptons. I decided that Castle would use Castle as his last name, rather than Rodgers. I did, however, keep his middle name as Alexander, rather than Edgar (which he changed it to), since we already heard in 3x02 that his middle name is Alexander. I tried to keep part 1 of this epilogue away from to much ceremony. I also decided that Kate wouldn't have a veil (didn't see her as a veil-wearing kind of girl). Links to the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses are above. Figured you'd want to see what I had picked out! (For the record, I'm not even close to being married & I've basically decided I need a Maggie Sottero dress for when I do. They're STUNNING.)

I'm not sure if I want to write another chapter to this epilogue, featuring their life in a year from now or something. I feel like this fic has come to a close by itself, but I almost want to write a baby fic/finish this off with a baby fic of some kind, but there are already so many out there that I don't feel like it's necessary. What do you guys think?

Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites, and follows, and thanks for being patient with me while I wrote this chapter. You have no idea how much it means to me! Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

* * *

_One year later…_

Kate stood in front of the full-length mirror in the guest room at the loft, the room filled with her bridesmaids' casual clothes, makeup, and endless amount of hairpins. Her hair was swept up in a braided chignon, a few pieces hanging loose, with a flower pinned into it. She gently brought her fingers to her collarbones, delicately touching one of the pearls on the short strand resting there. Pearl French-hook earrings complimented the ensemble. She let out a happy, "I can't believe this is really happening" sigh. Today, she would become a Castle for good.

"Oh, Katie. You look beautiful." Jim Beckett appeared in the doorway.

Kate was snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her father softly speaking to her. She turned around and looked at him. There was nothing but love in his eyes. He couldn't believe he was finally giving his daughter away. He remembered when Kate was about 5 years old – she had described her dream wedding to him. And even though it was bittersweet to give his only daughter away to another man, since that day, he couldn't wait for his daughter to find the perfect man.

"Thank you, Daddy." She gave him a soft smile. It was full of excitement, but the tiniest hint of gloom was present.

"You're wearing Mom's pearls." Jim smiled sadly back at Kate. She nodded. No words needed to be said about how much Kate & Jim missed Johanna. They both knew that Johanna would have been over the moon to have Rick as her son-in-law, especially since she had been a fan of his work.

"It's time to go." Jim held out one arm, escorting Kate out of the room and down the loft stairs to meet the rest of the wedding party for some photos. Rick looked up as Kate descended from the second floor. He froze where he stood, and he swore his heart skipped a few beats. Kate made eye contact with him and she could barely contain her 1000-watt smile. He looked more handsome than ever in his tux.

The bridesmaids – Lanie and Alexis – and the groomsmen – Javier and Kevin, were dressed to the nines. Kate had chosen a simple, one-shoulder dress in a rich plum color for her bridesmaids. She had gifted small gold necklaces to them as bridesmaids gifts, and both Lanie and Alexis topped their outfits off with the necklaces and ivory heels. Javier and Kevin looked fantastic in their tuxedos, with matching plum bowties. Rick had going suit shopping with them, and had even paid for their suit alterations.

Rick and Kate had decided on shooting photos in Central Park, even though they were going out to the Hamptons for the ceremony. As cliché as that was, it held meaning for both of them. Kate remembered the days when she was young – she and Johanna would often wander through the park on Johanna's day off while Jim was at work. Rick remembered bringing Alexis to the American Museum of Natural History right off Central Park West. In the winter, he and Alexis would often go ice skating in the park during the winter. They even had some picnics out on the great lawn – a tradition Rick had rekindled when he and Kate started dating.

* * *

Rick had arranged for a private plane to fly them from JFK out to the Hamptons after the shoot. Piling everyone into a limousine to take them to the airport hadn't been a problem, and surprisingly, the traffic had been light as well. The short flight out to the Hamptons had been smooth – not a cloud in the sky on such a beautiful summer day. It wasn't too hot, and there was a beautiful breeze; a perfect day for a beach wedding.

Rick and Kate exchanged vows on the beach that afternoon, a couple hours before sunset. They had had a deck brought in for the altar, and rows of chairs were set up in the sand facing the water. An ivory fabric canopy was draped over the altar, and lilies had been placed all around it. A wooden deck aisle split the chairs down the middle. Kate had always dreamt about a summer beach wedding, and she couldn't contain her excitement when Rick had said that he dreamt about one as well. Neither Meredith nor Gina wanted to deal with the sand between their toes or wind messing up their hair, but Kate embraced it. She loved the sound of the waves crashing, loved the smell of the saltwater, loved the breeze that blew off the water.

"Do you, Richard Alexander Castle, take Katherine Houghton Beckett, to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

"I do." Rick confidently stated. _Always_, he mouthed at Kate, who shot him a teary-eyed smile in return.

"And do you, Katherine Houghton Beckett, take Richard Alexander Castle, to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do you part?"

"I do." Kate shakily answered, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks. _Always_, she mouthed back.

The celebrant continued, "May this ring be blessed so he who gives it and she who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end."

Rick took the platinum ring from the celebrant's hand. "With this ring, I thee wed." It sat beautifully with Kate's engagement ring. Kate couldn't believe this was actually happening. The love of her life had just put a wedding ring on her finger.

"May this ring be blessed so she who gives it and he who wears it may abide in peace, and continue in love until life's end." The celebrant handed the other platinum ring to Kate, who slid it onto Rick's finger after stating, "With this ring, I thee wed."

After a few more minutes of the celebrant speaking, it was finally time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. Richard Alexander Castle, and Mrs. Katherine Houghton Castle! You may now kiss the bride!"

Rick and Kate met in a delicious kiss. Kate couldn't contain her smile, and neither could Rick. She giggled into their kiss, feeling giddy about finally becoming Mrs. Castle. Rick was the first to break the kiss, parting their lips and gently placing a kiss on the tip of her nose before facing their friends and family to walk back down the aisle. Fingers laced together, they retreated away from the shoreline, past their friends and family, as Mr. and Mrs. Castle.

* * *

Later that night, aboard a huge yacht that one of Rick's Hamptons neighbors was kind enough to loan him, the couple shared their first dance together as husband and wife. Guests had been fed delicious food from one of the local caterers, and glasses of champagne had been toasted – Salon 1995 for the friends and colleagues, and Perrier-Jouët for the wedding party & family. A live jazz band played a slow dance song in the background.

"So, Mrs. Castle, is today everything you've ever dreamt about?" Rick spoke softly into her ear as they had their first dance. Kate was tucked into his embrace, head resting on his shoulder, nose turned into his neck, breathing in the scent that was so distinctly him.

Kate moved her head so she could whisper into his ear. "It's everything, Rick. Everything was perfect. I wish my mom could've been here, though. She would've loved this…us…all of it." She buried her nose back into his neck, taking comfort in his embrace.

"Oh, Kate. You know she's watching over us at this very moment, smiling because her daughter is happy. That's all a parent could ever want – their child to be happy." He pressed a kiss into her hair.

"Well, good, because I'm more than happy." Kate lifted her head, looking straight into Rick's eyes. Her lips met his in a tender kiss. Parting, they rested their foreheads on each others', speaking softly as they continued to dance.

"Have I told you that you look absolutely stunning in that dress?"

"Hmm. I think you might've mentioned that."

"Well, in case I didn't, you look stunning in that dress."

Kate smiled. "Just wait until you see what's on under the dress," she teased.

"Can't wait." Rick grinned. Both closed their eyes, reveling in the moment, soaking each other's presence in.

And so it was official. Katherine Houghton Beckett had officially become Mrs. Castle, and Richard Alexander Castle couldn't have been happier that he waited by his beautiful bride's side until she was ready. The couple danced the night away under the stars, along with their friends and family. Everything was perfect.

Good thing Kate hadn't noticed Lanie and the boys starting a pool on a baby announcement.


End file.
